Janos' new digs on mark

The muted decor feels almost generic - pleasant, cool and instantly forgettable. Even after spending several hours there (dinner on a Tuesday and a Sunday), I'd have trouble picking the place out of a lineup.

But Tucsonans are having no trouble finding the place, which opened two months ago in the space formerly occupied by Barrio Food & Drink. It was filled nearly to capacity on recent visits.

Wilder, the Old Pueblo's most celebrated chef, obviously doesn't need his name on a big neon sign out front. He puts his stamp where it counts - on the table, right in front of you.

You will, of course, pay a pretty penny for the privilege. Dinner for two, complete with starters, dessert and tip, could cost you $125. Easy.

But after spending $18 and polishing off the large portion of black mussels (made with white wine and that great Spanish chorizo), you will thank the stars that nobody talked you into the small portion ($12). It comes with two big slices of light, perfect garlic bread.

This fresh, delectable appetizer was the perfect start on our second visit to Downtown Kitchen + Cocktails. And the best was yet to come: A beef stew that made you realize you never had beef stew before.

The French, of course, would never let an ugly word like "stew" escape their lips. It's a Pot au Feu, if you please, meaning pot on fire, and it's an intensely pleasurable concoction.

Our first visit to DK+C also started strong with an order of crispy calimari ($9) that had a delicious little kick, thanks to the green chile vinaigrette it was tossed in. The griddled garlic bread ($10) - topped with mushrooms, thyme, Madiera cream, leek fondue and parmigiano reggiano - was interesting.

The spinach-stuffed roasted trout ($20) was melt-in-your-mouth good, while the seared ahi ($24) was merely really good, albeit with a bland presentation. One bite was room temperature, the next chilled. I think I would have enjoyed this sensual interplay more had I known it was intentional, as manager Kristian Unvericht later explained.

Expectations figure highly into the experience at Downtown Kitchen + Cocktails. With Wilder and executive chef Bruce Yim (of the now-closed VinTabla) at the helm, coupled with prices that are what they are, expectations are through the roof. That's why you'll see so many mixed or downright negative reactions on Yelp, the web site where diners always seem to kvetch more than they compliment.

Everybody agrees that having Janos Wilder downtown again is a good thing. But in a town where you've been wowing with your food for nearly 30 years, well, you'll get called on it if you don't.

And he is certainly wowing diners with the Pot au Feu, a magnificent dish that's quickly becoming a signature of the sleek new eatery. It's a deceptively simple affair - slow-cooked brisket and pot roast, with marrow bones and precisely four vegetables (potato, turnip, leek and carrot). The veggies were grown locally, of course - and you've never tasted anything so wonderful.

With every bite of this stew, you burden your date with brilliant commentary like "wow" and "hmmmm" and "wow." Devouring his duck ($18), he pays you no attention.

Our server on this second visit had a relaxed cool and seemed to know the menu inside and out, not that she volunteered much. She also vanished for long periods and dropped off condiments for the Pot au Feu without a reminder of what they were (whole-grain mustard, baby pickles and horseradish cream - listed on the menu for those who can read its teensy type).

Her description of the half-dozen desserts made you want to try them all. The bread pudding went down with gusto, as did a pineapple upside down cake thing. The most raved-about of the desserts seems to be the jalapeno dark-chocolate ice cream (all desserts are $8).

Wilder also owns Janos Restaurant, a tony white-tablecloth place, and the less-formal J Bar, both at the Westin La Paloma Resort and Spa. The chef's latest venture marks a return to downtown, where he opened his first Tucson restaurant in 1983.

Called Janos and housed in the Tucson Museum of Art's historic Hiram Stevens House, the restaurant was a revelation that quickly earned national acclaim for its French cooking techniques and its inventive use of indigenous ingredients.

But the museum had other plans for the Stevens House, and Wilder was forced out in 1998. He moved to the foothills, breaking many downtown hearts in the process.

And now he's back, ensconced on the first floor of another historic structure, the nearly 100-year-old former Odd Fellows Hall. The building, owned by photographer Tim Fuller and sculptor Barbara Grygutis, houses the Etherton Gallery on the second floor. Terry Etherton curates the restaurant's display of art (a series of William Lesch saguaros is up now).

The UniSource tower is rising across the street from Wilder's new place - window seats allow for a nice view of the construction, which continues day and night.

But while his new eatery has no affect on downtown's skyline, Janos Wilder's impact on downtown life is already being felt. The James Beard Award-winning chef has built something special already with what he calls global comfort food, an apt description of the alchemy going on at Downtown Kitchen + Cocktails.

Review

• What: Downtown Kitchen + Cocktails, 135 S. Sixth Ave.

• Hours: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday for lunch, 5-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday, and 4-9 p.m. Sunday, for dinner. Happy hour 4-6 p.m. daily. Kitchen open until 1 a.m. Thurs.-Sat.

• Prices: Dinner entrees range from $18 to $28.

• Cocktails: Inventive creations include the tequila--pineapple-brown sugar Pablo Escabar ($8) and the gin-cardamon syrup-ginger beer South 6th ($9).

• Noise level: Moderate.

• Family call: Kids with an adventurous eating spirit will be rewarded.

• Vegetarian choices: Several.

• Reservations: 623-7700.

Did you know?

The Spanish chorizo in the mussels appetizer comes from pigs raised on the Iberian peninsula on a diet of acorns only. The only other ingredients in this form of chorizo, which has a salami-type texture, are garlic and paprika.